Chili bird's eye. Application of bird's eye maple

Hot pepper with the interesting name "bird's eye" is one of the most widely used spices in the national cuisines of Southeast Asian countries. It pairs well with meat, seafood, rice and of course other spices such as coriander, fennel, turmeric, cardamom and cumin. If we analyze the chemical composition of a vegetable, then the content of biologically active substances in it is not huge. This rewards the food product with a host of useful properties.

strange name

"Bird's eye", or Thai pepper, is most common in Cambodia, Vietnam, the Philippines and neighboring Asian countries, but especially in Thailand. Hence one of its names. Now it can be found all over the world. Presumably this pepper got its name from the small, tapering, downward-pointing tiny fiery fruits, so similar to the eyes of birds.

According to another version - it is the birds that spread the seeds of the "bird's eye" pepper. The photo confirms that its burning sharpness does not work on these birds.

What is "bird's eye"

During ripening, the fruit of the pepper acquires a light green hue. When fully ripe, it turns into a bright red. The fruits reach 2.5 cm in length and about 1 cm in diameter. The growing process can take over 120 days as the plants reach a height of up to two meters. Spicy and burning "bird's eye" is added to many soups, sauces, pastas. In addition to the characteristic pungent smell and taste, another interesting property is that it facilitates digestion. Hot pepper contains a noticeable amount of vitamins - more than a vegetable of sweet varieties. It has a large amount of vitamin C (but it loses it during drying), but pepper is also rich in vitamins A, B, D, P, B2, E, K.

Burning

This is a very hot pepper. "Bird's Eye" on the Scoville scale is estimated at 50,000 - 100,000 units. This is 20 times more than jalapenos, but three times less than habaneros. The burning sensation can creep up unnoticed, as it slowly, gradually appears in the process of eating, and remains for a long time even after you stop eating. The chemical compound that causes the burning sensation in hot chili peppers is capsaicin. It is found mainly in the white pulp and seeds on the inside of the pepper. The effects of this compound can vary from person to person, however, most of them experience a burning sensation in the mouth, throat, and stomach when ingested. To reduce the intensity of the burning sensation, fluids with a high fat content should be consumed. Water will not bring any relief. Milk is the most recommended antidote. Skin contact will also cause irritation and burning. When preparing and handling chili peppers, people should wear gloves and avoid touching other parts of the body. Capsaicin can remain on the hands and body for several hours. You will be in for a nasty surprise if you don't wear gloves and inadvertently touch your eyes or lenses! Some may experience an allergic reaction: redness of the eyes, watery eyes, runny nose, sneezing and coughing. The skin can be wiped with milk or washed with baby shampoo to relieve burning and irritation.

Assistant in the kitchen, in medicine and agriculture

Chili is very popular in Thai cuisine, as well as cuisines from the Asian countries mentioned above, which are distinguished by the wide use of a variety of fire spices. They are widely used in seasonings for fish or other seafood, as well as for non-vegetable dishes. Bird's eye pepper improves immunity, acts as an antioxidant, has anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects, participates in the prevention of cancer, and has a positive effect on the cardiovascular system. In medicine, it is also valued for its beneficial properties: it relieves arthritis pain, helps with stomach problems, relieves bloating and reduces toothache. "Bird's eye" is used in agriculture. Crushed peppers can be mixed with water and used to control harmful insects, replacing pesticides.

Hot sauce with chili "bird's eye"

Even if you're not a big fan of spicy, having a bottle of homemade sauce handy at home is handy.

Cooking time - 25 minutes

Yield: about one glass

Ingredients: two tomatoes, two red bell peppers, sixteen small cloves of garlic, one and a half cups of bird's eye chili, a glass of white vinegar, two tbsp. tablespoons of vegetable or olive oil, one tbsp. a spoonful of sugar, one tbsp. a spoonful of salt.

• Bake tomatoes and bell peppers in the oven. Take out and let cool.
• Then put the garlic cloves in the pan and fry for a couple of minutes. Cool down.
• In a blender, mix garlic, tomatoes, bell peppers together with chili peppers. Add water and mix again.
• Pour the resulting mixture into a saucepan along with oil, vinegar, salt and sugar. Boil for about 5 minutes.
• Once completely cooled, taste for salt and add if required.
• Pour the sauce into a container. Cover and leave for a few days to help the flavors blend better.
• Strain through a sieve and pour into a suitable container. The sauce is ready.

Since spicy Thai dishes have become very popular, this variety of chili is available all year round. An adequate substitute for fresh peppers are dried pods or crushed ones.

"Bird's eye" - a subspecies of hot capsicum (chili). It is also called "small pepper", "table pepper". Pepper "Bird's Eye" has a sharp burning taste and a slight peppery smell.

This subspecies of chili is much more pungent than the usual chili pepper, so its taste is like an explosion when you are not used to it. It is believed that the bird pepper is evidence of the ancient migration of capsicum from Brazil and Bolivia to Central America. As archaeologists have established, traces of bird pepper are found in the remains of ancient settlements and cities in Bolivia and Peru.

The name "bird's eye" or bird's pepper has several meanings. At first, this was the name given to wild Chile, whose bright, small, round and very pungent fruits attracted birds without causing them any harm. Botanists believe that birds brought the seeds of this pepper to Mexico, and already their domestication led to the appearance of round, about 1 cm in size, pods, reminiscent of a bird's eye.

Gradually, the name became international and switched to all small, no more than 1-2 cm, round and oblong pods of strong pungency. Despite the fact that bird peppers are considered the least spicy of all Chile, nevertheless, we must not forget that in general the degree of hotness of this pepper is very high!

Bird pepper has sharp-angled fruits of light red color, which are added in sliced ​​form to ready-made dishes (sauces, salsas, soups, salads) to give them an extra spiciness. The aroma of the pods of this pepper has citrus and smoky nutty notes. The size and shape of the pods are very similar to "chiltepin" peppers and in comparison with it it is less pungent, but the aftertaste from it is much longer (see the article "Chiltepin pepper (Tepin, Enano, Pikin)").

Of all types of pepper, bird pepper is the only one that has substances that are useful not only to people, but also to birds (positively affects the egg production of poultry and the color of their feathers). Therefore, in many countries it is mixed into bird food.

Application>

This kid has an extremely spicy taste. Cut it into thin strips for use in dishes. Be careful. Very stingy. You can spoil the dish. To enhance the aroma of dried chili, it is roasted in a dry wok, then allowed to cool, pounded in a mortar and added to the dish.

In general, it is traditionally used for the manufacture of pepper vodkas and tinctures. It is part of Tabasco sauce, spicy ketchup. Whole peppers are put in borscht, soups (during cooking, and not in the finished dish). Ground - most often goes to sauces, salad dressings, kefirs, yogurt, matsoni, they sprinkle egg and rice dishes, it is added to stews, marinades, side dishes of beans, lentils, beans. It is good to add ground red pepper to mashed potatoes in combination with garlic and bay leaf powder.

It is recommended to use it in combination with spices such as coriander, fennel, turmeric, cardamom, cumin, because chili gives the dish a sharpness and burning, and the rest of the spices (not so sharp) - aroma. Many misuse red pepper, using it as a seasoning and adding it to ready-made dishes. Chili, unlike black pepper, should be added to food during cooking (usually at the beginning or 5-10 minutes before cooking).

What do our beautiful girls like in their country house? Of course, flowers! No garden is complete without lovingly planted favorite flowers, many of which we grow as seedlings. And what do men in the country love? Of course, boast of green cucumbers, dill, tomatoes and peppers. So I really wanted to surprise my beloved this year, so that later, in turn, he could tell his neighbors and his friends how well done he is, so original. After all, he grows a wonderful pepper, but not a simple, special one, and his name is Bird's eye (Bird's eye). The fruits of this small-sized little thing are acute-angled, light red in color. Although it is small, only about 1 cm to 2.5 cm, it has quite a burning taste! It is used in cooking (sauces, salsas, soups, salads), as a seasoning and adding to ready meals. It also has medicinal properties, it is used for toothache, stomach pain and ailments. But it is not only suitable for eating itself pepper, but also its greens. Of all types of pepper, this baby has substances useful for birds, making their plumage more saturated in color. It is also called Thai, although it comes from Mexico. The basic rule for hot pepper is the smaller the pod, the more pungent.Silicon red chili peppers are rich in vitamins A, C, D, B, B6, beta-carotene. Of the trace elements they include: iron, magnesium, sodium, potassium. As well as essential oils, fatty oils and capsaicin. Long I have searched for seeds in specialized stores and garden centers, but to no avail. My dream would never come true to grow this curiosity, but there is always a way out. In an ordinary grocery store, among the spices, there were boxes with different peppers and my dear among them. Yes, I would also like to say, in my opinion, my future wit probably looks like the eyes of the sacred bird myna, he is mynashka. A vain, noisy starling bird! Well, about growing peppers.
I take pepper seeds and for an accelerated germination process I put them between a couple of moistened napkins for 4-5 days for germination. I prepare fertile land with the addition of vermiculite. As soon as the swollen seeds begin to germinate, I sow them in a shallow box approximately from each other at a distance of 5 cm to a depth of 0.5 cm. This distance is done to avoid stretching young shoots. As soon as my seedlings showed the first leaves, I try to give additional artificial light. When two true leaves appear, I start transplanting into shallow containers with a diameter of 10 cm. When the pepper reaches a height of 10-15 cm. transplanted into pots or greenhouses. In a greenhouse in the ground, they grow faster and more than in pots, but in pots you can freely transfer them in the fall to a balcony or an apartment to a window. We feed the pepper in the same way as the tomatoes.
Adjika from Chile
We take 500g of bell peppers and the same amount of tomatoes, grind everything into a puree. Add two tablespoons of salt, one tablespoon of paprika and one teaspoon of suneli hops to the mass. Crushed in a blender six cloves of garlic and fresh horseradish root in the amount of 25 gr. mix with our puree. Lastly, add 4-5 pieces of finely chopped chili pepper. We defend the resulting seasoning for half an hour before direct use. If you want to leave adjika for future use, it is recommended to transfer it to sterilized jars and roll it up in the usual way. For long-term storage, more horseradish and chili should be used.
mexican chicken
We take a medium-sized chicken, cut into small pieces, fry until golden brown. We make a mixture of 4 tbsp. spoons of soy sauce and 2 tbsp. spoons of cognac (or other strong alcohol) and simmer the bird in it over low heat until the moisture has completely evaporated. Grind the onion head, two chili peppers (or to your taste) and four bell peppers. Add a tablespoon of grated ginger, two anise stars to the vegetables and spread the resulting mass to the meat for further frying. In the meantime, dilute half a tablespoon of starch (or rice flour) in water, pour into a dish and simmer everything until the bird is ready. Bon appetit!
Here in such a package, but so many seeds !!!

Bird's eye pepper (Thai chili) is one of the varieties of chilli peppers. Cultivated in Southeast Asia. It has a strong spicy taste (100-225 thousand hotness units on the Scoville scale). It is used in cooking exclusively as a spice and seasoning.

calories

100 grams of fresh chili contains about 40 kcal.

Compound

The chemical composition of chili peppers is characterized by a high content of proteins, carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins (A, B3, B4, B9, C, K), macro- (potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, phosphorus) and microelements (iron, manganese, copper) .

How to cook and serve

Thai chili is one of the most popular ingredients in the national cuisines of a number of countries in Southeast Asia. In particular, in Vietnam this food product is actively used in the preparation of a number of soups, salads and hot second courses, meat and seafood sauces. In turn, in Thai cuisine, bird's eye pepper is valued for its fruity taste, which is why this vegetable is often added to salads and stews of meat and rice. In this case, not only fresh, but also dried peppers are used.

What is combined with

How to choose

When choosing Thai chili, you should pay attention to the condition of the skin of the fruit. It should be smooth and evenly colored, without containing any cosmetic defects and mechanical damage.

Storage

In a plastic bag placed in the refrigerator, Thai chili can be stored for up to one week. You can extend the shelf life up to several months by drying. In this form, Thai chili should be stored in an airtight container in a dark, cool place with good ventilation.

Beneficial features

The chemical composition of Thai chili contains a huge amount of biologically active substances, which gives this food product a lot of useful properties. In particular, the regular use of this vegetable has an immunostimulating, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-carcinogenic effect, and also prevents the occurrence and development of a number of diseases of the cardiovascular and central nervous systems.

Use restrictions

Individual intolerance, hypersensitivity of the gastrointestinal tract, a tendency to allergic reactions, inflammatory diseases of the digestive system.

For spicy food, a special occasion is not needed - this male passion can only be compared with the girl's craving for sweets (which, of course, does not negate the fact that there are lovers of sugar food among the guys). Today we decided to take a closer look at spicy food, the hottest peppers and how to deal with them.

HOW ACUTE IS RATED

The most important element of a truly scalding dish is hot pepper, which has countless varieties that differ in size, color, origin and, of course, the degree of heat.

It is customary to change the spiciness of pepper according to the scale of the Detroit pharmacist Wilbur Lincoln Scoville, which he developed in the very early 1900s. Wilbur handed out an extract of various varieties of pepper to the tasters, and then counted how much sweetened water the test subjects drank. A little later, in 1920, Mr. Scoville proposed a new test aimed at measuring the level of a special substance called capsaicin, contained in large quantities in hot peppers. Currently, the sharpness of pepper is still determined by the amount of capsaicin, but in more modern ways, and the results are certainly compared with the same Scoville scale and calculated in SHU (Scoville H eat U nits).

The notorious capsaicin has an unusual effect on the body: being a powerful irritant, it affects nerve cells and dulls pain signals, and also promotes the production of endorphins, improves mood, improves immunity and relieves stress. Because of these unusual qualities, capsaicin is addictive, and regular consumption of low doses leads to a dulling of the taste buds: it should not be surprising that many spicy lovers easily chew the hottest peppers - this is just a matter of routine training.

Common varieties of hot peppers:

The sharpest parts in peppers are considered to be the internal partition and seeds. A Trinidad was recognized as the hottest pepper on the planet this year M oruga S corpion R ed from New Mexico, its sharpness is 2009231 SHU.

If, nevertheless, the thought of trying something hot does not give you rest, and you won’t be full of one hot pepper, then you should pay attention to several universal burning sauces from different regions, which can change even the most familiar dish and turn your meal into a fire hazardous experiment .

Tabasco sauce can be added to both food and alcohol. The main thing is to know the measure and take into account the spiciness of the chosen sauce. If the sweet Tabasco sauce can be added without much fear to anything, then it is better to pour the Tabasco sauce with habanero peppers in drops, it only seems harmless in appearance.

How to deal with excessive spiciness in the mouth

If the dish or sauce turned out to be so spicy that the sparks from the eyes instantly turned into burning tears, and the flame of the fiery dragon bursts out of the mouth, you should not rush in a panic for a glass of water - it will not help you.

It is better to drink milk or any other dairy product, since it contains casein, a milk protein that masterfully neutralizes capsaicin. If there was nothing dairy at hand, then you can safely turn to alcohol, which is also able to extinguish the fire in your mouth. Moreover, capsaicin can be dissolved by swallowing warm water with sugar or eating a spoonful of vegetable oil. In the end, eat a scalding dish with a piece of bread or boiled potatoes, and off you go for new spicy adventures.

Some of the spiciest food in the world: